Heat. Heat. Welcome to Obridge's Outlook. I'm Mayor Debbie Walker. Today we will be discussing one of the most pressing issues affecting households and businesses in New Jersey. The rising cost of energy. Prices keep going up, budgets are tightening, and the effects are being felt by everyone. Whether
you're a homeowner trying to understand your utility bill or a business owner planning for the year ahead, today's program will give you some needed insight to help you navigate the rapidly changing energy world. To help make sense of what is driving these increases, I am joined by Senator Owen
Henry. Welcome, Senator Henry. >> Thank you, Mayor. Thanks for having me back. >> It's nice for you to come back. >> I appreciate coming back. You know, this was my home for 12 years, so it's always great to come home, see the nice people here on OBV, and to see you and the administration doing so well. Um so thank you for having me. >> I thought it was important to have you
here today because I know myself my electric bill is very high and um maybe you can give us some insight. >> Yeah, we've seen as you know um we've seen New Jersey go from an energy producing a state to an energy consuming state now more we uh import energy. So
supply and demand has driven um the prices up here in New Jersey over the past I'm going to say six to seven years. And unfortunately, as you said in your opening statement, it's impacted everyone. Um, right now in New Jersey, electricity prices are up about 36%.
So, you're paying 36% for the same energy you used, you know, less than two years ago. Between 2023 and now, they've gone up that much. And natural gas now is going up um about 22%. So people are really getting hit hard
when it comes to utility bills of heating and uh cooking and utility bills in their house. And that's cost of living here in New Jersey has skyrocketed over the last couple years due to utility cost. And I'm so grateful that the price at the pump has gone
down. Can you imagine if we were paying $4 a gallon for gas and on top of that electricity and gas would really really be hurting, right? >> Um so we all know that it's a problem. Um, we have a new administration in Trenton who took action um at the
inauguration where some executive orders were signed which hopefully will give us some relief if one of them was to not allow the BPU to raise um the rates up in the in the next coming months whether or not that's going to be held up if in fact the
utility suppliers need additional funding to supply New Jersey their their their gas and electricity how they would be blocked. from raising rates or just delayed. I think that's what it's mostly going to be. >> Um they'll they'll put the increases in later. The new governor has signed
additional uh executive orders that's going to find out what the heck's going on here in New Jersey. Why? I think we all know the reason why, but now we're really going to have to take a real good look at uh what are some of the possible solutions. She's committed to looking
into additional solar. The problem with solar is it's heavily uh subsidized. So solar is very expensive. And if you look at our current demand, natural gas and nuclear, I don't get too deep into the woods, but make up 90% of our
electricity that's produced here in New Jersey is produced either a nuclear plant, which is about 46% natural gas makes up the remainder. And there's 10% that's made up, you know, people uh use propane, uh he some people still burn coal, um you know, and some people are
totally electric. So there's there's there's a 10% but solar is a very small part of that and also wind is a very small part of that. So again they're pushing for more renewable energy. We all want renewable energy but we're just not there yet here in New Jersey and other parts of the country, other parts
of the world. Uh we're heavily dependent on nuclear and natural gas. So we're hopefully we're going to be going in that direction getting some of our uh natural gas plants back online. And as you know, there was six decommissioned plants, whether they were nuclear,
natural gas, and coal. They were taken offline over the last couple of years, and nothing was put in to replace them. So, we have a lot of making up to do here in New Jersey to become a generating state again. And we're all hopeful. We're hopeful that everyone sees the light, no pun intended, that we
need to generate electricity here in New Jersey. Um, going to this this green uh scam, which I call it, isn't isn't working. It's not going to work in in the next 50 years going to all electric um by 2050. It's not going it's just not
available when you're producing uh the kind of electricity that I mean New Jersey is the most densely populated state. We use a lot of electricity and so it's it's I don't know if it's um if it's the right way to go but I'm not in charge obviously my business was making
generating station building generating stations so I am a little biased you know and I'm a little frustrated that this was a man-made problem this is man-made >> that we are experiencing these issues today here in New Jersey we had the historic low energy prices seven years ago you were on council when we were
doing energy aggregation we couldn't give it away Right. >> Right. Uh natural gas was very cheap. Our plants, you know, and there was um plans to bring more natural gas plants online. Uh very close by. In fact, one
site was right here in Oldbridge. One is in Woodbridge where the licenses were ready to go. You know, the rug was pulled out from under those plants. So, you can only speculate what we would be doing now. We would not be paying the high electric bills that we are. >> So, are these plants that were shut down permanently closes? there's hopes that
we could open them or >> the majority of the bigger ones are gone. I mean, the two coal burning stations, the one in Mercer in Stones Throw from the Capitol was demolished and gone. Um, the one in Jersey City, Hudson generating station where you'd
see from the Turnpike is gone. Um, the nuclear plant, um, that is gone. Um, some of the other gas fired plants, I don't know if the units are still in place. I'm trying to talk into see what's available right now. what could we bring online within the next few
months? Because what the governor has issued, you're two, three, four, five years away, uh, additional nuclear, you're eight years away from a plant being built here and put online in New Jersey by the time you go through all the regulatory processes and, um, the restrictions and the permits that are
needed to build plants from scratch and get them going. Um, the one in Woodbridge, I know, is ready, shovel, ready to go. That one's ready to go. Let's get it going. But they're not they haven't reached that point yet where they want to commit to natural gas fired
plants. And what's so ironic is that we are now purchasing energy from out of state Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, which burns coal and natural gas. So we are now importing energy that we took
offline that we were making here. And with clean air technology, it is possible uh to burn fossil fuel. But there are people who who want to eliminate fossil fuel completely. And I don't like I said, you can't have that conversation if 90% of your energy is being created by fossil fuel and
nuclear. You just can't have that discussion and eliminate fossil fuel. It's here and we have a supply of it for like 500 years. And let's burn it cleanly because other countries around the world are burning coal. China, India, they put coal burning plants
online almost monthly and with no exhaust emissions. So global warming, but it seems to be only hard problem here. You know, save the climate, but other people are responsible for the climate, too. Yeah. >> You know, we're suffering big time. >> Well, this is not affecting only homeowners, business when the business
cost goes to businesses, it's trickles down to the consumer. So, it's affecting us in many ways. I know when I got my electric bill, I thought there was something wrong with my meter. >> You're you're you're not alone. We've gotten so many so many calls especially from people living on fixed incomes, people with disabilities, people who are
retired, seniors, they're they are struggling to pay their utility bills. Some people are paying close to $800 a month just to heat their home between electric and gas. It's crazy. It really is. >> Especially with this cold winter that we've had now. >> And electricity right now, the demand
for electricity is, you know, moderate. But in the summertime when the demand for electricity, you know, goes up exponentially, we are going to be in trouble here in New Jersey. We are going to be in tr I don't think they realize what's going to happen. But what they're putting in place now when it comes to
summertime, do not be surprised if there are rolling blackouts. You know what they do in other states where you don't have electricity for certain hours during the day. >> Yeah. Because if they shut down all if they shut down all these plants and we're importing it in when there's a high demand in the summer. >> Yes. It's not only New Jersey, it's the other
states that rely, you know, we're in the northeastern grid, the PJM. There are many states that rely on all that electricity. And if there's a, you know, if there's a demand in New Jersey, a demand in Pennsylvania and New York, and there if everybody, you know, we're there's going to be a shortage of
electricity in the Northeast here, I think over the summer, >> if we don't do something and see what's available to come online. I know we have peaking units that do come online during the summer. I think maybe we should look at them and bring, you know, get more capacity out of them. Get them online
now. Burn them now so we could try to help. I think it's going to be a hot summer. >> Oh, don't say that. >> Well, people are going to have to make the choice, air conditioning or food, >> right? >> Right. If you can't pay your electric bill, um you're going to you're going to be uh you're going to be in trouble.
>> And this does affect the cost of food because now the supermarkets, their electric bills are high. So it does trickle down to >> you can only imagine what you pay in your home and if you go to a large facility, you know, 100,000 square foot store with the refrigeration and the
lighting and all the computers and the artificial intelligence. It's just it's not looking good. It's not looking good. >> It it's scary that they didn't look into the future. >> Well, they did and they saw a different future than reality. >> You know, they thought that New Jersey was going to go, you know, windmills
were going to save our lives. Even that the windmill production is is nothing compared to what we need to maintain our state >> because we're such a densely populated state. >> I think we are a densely populated country per square mile to most people. >> I hope you have a little better news for
us today. >> Well, we have a change in administration as you know. We have a lot of new faces, a lot of new voices in Trenton. Um that means a lot of new ears that maybe they'll listen. >> Um I know the old school didn't want to listen to what we had to say. Um, but as
you know, the people in New Jersey have spoken, you know, to vote it. We we I'm a big believer in, you know, the people have spoken. Now, let's, you know, still represent everyone and see what we can do. I think with hopefully if we get some um um, like I said, new ears that
we could voice some common sense into some people. >> Well, they're paying electric bills as well. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> So, I think they must see the rising cost. >> A lot of them are coming from out of state, so I think they're going to be in for a little sticker shock when they get to New Jersey. Um, I talked to one individual coming up from Texas. I said,
"Are you familiar with New Jersey?" You know, and she said, "No, not really." I said, "You let me know what you need." >> Well, she gets her first electric bill. We might see some legislation >> and the first uh, you know, reality wakeup call. >> Well, do you have any any any good news from Trenton?
>> Good news in Trenton. We're not there, >> you know. >> So, we can't be messing things up. I mean, the last week before the change in administrations, well, it was eye opening for me. We were there till 11:30 at night some nights passing bills. One day we did a record of 144 bills were
passed in one voting session. >> Wow. >> We had to pass a bill. So we were allowed to vote on that many because you're not allowed to vote more than 33. So we had a we exceeded the limit by a little bit. But that was interesting for me to have that experience of going back and forth between the assembly and the
senate. And uh it was uh kind of exciting. I'm not looking forward to it again because uh you know when we have all this government and all these bills that get passed, it's just more layers and layers and layers of red tape and bureaucracy as far as I'm concerned. Less governor is better. But that's not
the opinion in Trenton right now. The more bills the better. >> I know. I'm amazed at how many bills get passed in a year. It's amazing. >> Some nonsense. But uh for the most part, uh I think we had a productive legislative session. As you know, they go two years. We just
started our next two-year session. >> Um, so I'm excited. Uh, some of the bills that uh, one good thing about Trenton is that if your bill did not get passed or heard, it's gone. You got to start over from scratch. So, a lot of the nonsense bills are gone now. So, >> they'll see if they want to start them again.
>> Well, that that's some good news. >> Yeah. Um, I have some bills that that that died with the session. I'll try to get them back online. The one for the the two veterans on 35. Why that one was tabled, I don't know. We're working on it. We're working the phones to get Route 35 named for our two veterans who
died in Vietnam. >> We have money in the town >> waiting for. So, I'm confident that one's going to get passed. Uh my one bill that was successful uh was to help contractors um who navigate the state um pay their uh licenses and pay their
permit fees. Um towns, I know takes online, but you wouldn't believe how many towns did not take online payments. uh we actually had to bring a physical check to that town's building department or the town and write it out, hand it to somebody. Somebody has to take the check, deposit it, wait for it to clear.
So that was kind of holding up the process and uh building permits and jobs throughout the state. So my bill was passed. Now towns must accept electronic payments 24 hours a day. So a builder can go online at night, do all his uh banking, and make sure everyone is paid.
And hopefully that'll speed up, make his jobs go a little faster and his life a little easier. I know as a contract and me traveling, I would have to give up a whole day and go from town to town to town and fill out a check. And most people don't have checks anymore. >> No, I know. >> So, it's time that the the towns got
into the into the 21st century also. Yes. >> Not just everybody else. >> Now, that was one bill that I got passed. Uh some of my other ones never made it. Um, I'm working on the cost of living increase for our state troopers, >> um, who retired and their cost of living
was pulled out from under there. They never got it. Right. And we have a lot of troopers that retired, you know, 20 25 years ago who were living below the poverty level on their pensions. They were never right. >> So, I'm working on that. That's going to be a difficult hall. >> Yeah, I know that's a big issue. >> It's a big issue. So, I want to start
with the state police. It was something that was agreed to, taken away from them, never restored. >> Yeah. I'm surprised there's not a lot of people behind that. >> Me, too. >> I'm really surprised. >> Yeah, me too. And especially now, you know, when the cost of living in New Jersey has gone up so much. >> Yes.
>> And your cost of living on your fixed income has not gone up at all. >> Um, >> we're going to try to get that done. We're also there's a push, as you know, nationally, no taxes on social security and overtime. Well, here in New Jersey, we don't recognize that. We are still
taxing people's overtime and we're still taxing their social security. >> Be one of the few states that does that. >> Still doing it. So I'm going to try to work on that. Um so that hopefully that'll be good news for a lot of people that help ease the you know the cost of living increases here in New Jersey. Yeah. There's a there's a lot of work we need to that needs to get done in
Trenton. A lot a lot a lot of work. Unfortunately the school funding formula looks like it's not going to get addressed. Looks like we're going to be the same old same old. >> But we don't really have a funding formula. >> Well, whatever they use. I'm hoping >> no one really has ever seen it.
>> Yeah. Um so I'm hoping the new person in the department of education um we have calls in already to try to get some kind of common sense formula for funding for for the education here in New Jersey. We know how important it is. Some districts
are just eating money at a shark's pace and some districts are just struggling as Old Bridge and many districts in my town which has led to higher property taxes. that funding formula is >> not lack of funding formula has a direct relation to why the local property and
you know that >> in we were hit really hard because the state took so much money away from our school funding. >> I I hope the the department of education sees that now and I hope the new administration sees that and realizes that you know we need to move the money around a little bit
>> make it more fair >> more fair. It's really unbalanced right now. I was hoping that with the new administration that bridge was going to get some of the school funding back, but I don't >> I don't think so think that's going to happen. >> We're working we're asking for it. Um I'm working with all the school districts to see, you know, they're at
bare bones now. There's no more waste in a lot of our districts, but yet they are encouraging waste in a lot of districts that don't get the results that we get here in Oldbridge. >> You know, we have districts graduating high school with third grade educations. I don't know where that's not fair to
anyone. you know, the parents, the student, where you going if you can't read >> if you can't, you know, you function at a third grade level. >> Well, it's hard on families when they got this big increase this year in taxes. Plus, electric bills are going up. It's >> Yeah, it's a perfect storm. Yeah. Again,
no pun intended. You know, a lot of people leaving the state of New Jersey. We have a lot of people coming into the state of New Jersey, as you know. Um, so >> we'll see where once I always say once the dust settles in Trenton, we'll see. And and I understand a new administration coming in, it's difficult. you came in. Yes. Yeah. It
takes a while before >> you have to know all the players and there's a lot of players in Trenton. A lot a lot of players that been playing for a long time >> and maybe not >> reacting so nicely to a new administration who want to do things a little differently, right? >> You know, there are people in Trenton
who are setting their ways and that's the way they want it >> and uh you know, they keep getting elected so that's the way the people want it. >> Yeah. >> But we'll see. Like I said, I'm optimistic always. Always the glass is always hanging. >> We have to be >> Yeah, >> we have to be optimistic. >> There's a lot of state issues that that
my office is dealing with. Please, if they call here, send them over. >> We do. >> Yeah, I know. I'm being sarcastic. I'm going to send them here when they call them out. And I don't >> I'm lucky when I get in. Oh, that's for the senator's office. >> Yes. No, but we're helping people with the the DMV with unemployment. Um, as
you know, it's a little complicated. The We can do a whole show. Maybe that wouldn't be a bad idea to do the new uh property tax relief incentives that >> that might be a really good show because you have your office has helped so many people that I have met that were having problems. I sent them to your office and
they were complimenting how what great help they got the homestead. >> We have the senior tax freeze and now we have the stay in New Jersey all been combined right into one. >> Do you think it's going to continue on? Uh >> I hope so. Let's keep our fingers crossed. I know we're funded for the
first two quarters in New Jersey. Let's hope that they're in the budget process right now. >> I'm hoping that they continue that stay in program for the for the remainder because that will make a difference. >> It makes a difference on like you said people that may have retired a few years ago and they have a set income. It's not
changing. All the costs are going up. So, it's very important that they get some kind of relief. >> Yeah. The the homestead rebate is okay. The property the senior tax freeze is good, you know, but um but I think the state New Jersey is the one >> is the one that is going to be um
>> a game changer, you know, where um the total it's like $6,600 they'll get back and there's a formula >> they do just take they're all going to be the combined is total of 6,000 based on 50% of your taxes. People think it's six, but they it's combined.
>> Some people are not going to get 6,600, right? >> Your people that paid the higher taxes will, but the people that are below the state average, which are a lot of people in New Jersey in Oldbridge are might not see the full advantage of 6,300, but they will see quite a a substantial. >> Yeah, that would be a very interesting
show because we could tell people maybe people aren't even aware of it. >> We are we get people that I'm I'm shocked or not aware of what's going on yet, >> you know, and some people don't qualify and of course they're upset, >> right? >> You know, there are you have to go back in time, >> right? People don't Well, I turned 65.
Why aren't my taxes frozen? Well, the state's behind a year and a half, so, you know, I just got it. >> It catches up eventually. It catches up. >> It catches up to you. Yes. But you know what what the problem with the program is, mayor, you have to put the money out, >> right? It's a it's a rebate. >> It's a you get it back. Why take it in
the first place? >> Yeah. Because if you don't, say you're on a fixed income and it's really hard for you to put that money out. You're going to get it back, especially if you have a high increase in taxes. You have to put maybe possibly $1,200 out. >> Yeah. I put a lot of money out with their tax increases now. Yeah. I'll get it back,
>> right? But you have to put it out. That's it. I wish they would change that and make it so that you don't have to put it out. >> They could, but let's let's just focus on funding. >> Let's hope they don't take it away. >> Let's hope they take it away completely. And not have to worry about it. But, uh, you know, I'm confident with that. I
think there's a lot of people on board, especially now with the energy and everything that piling up. Yeah. >> That we have to do something. >> Yeah. Because it's getting hard for our seniors. They might choose to not buy their medicine so they could buy their food and pay for that. >> Yeah. You know, thank God there's been some progress at the federal level. I've
seen it. I'm on a lot of medications and you know I've seen the reduction in the cost of drugs that's helped out a lot but I know people who do not you know who make that choice who don't take their medicine right I see you know unfortunately I see seniors in the in in the doctor's office leaving with all the
samples you know that's I can't even think about it >> yeah it shouldn't be like that >> it should not be like that >> you shouldn't have to choose >> right >> we have to have more help so thank you so much for coming anytime and we'll definitely have another show keep people for and I think like you said the one
with the senior freeze would be a very good show to get the word out to people that might not be applying. So I really appreciate >> it once and once the state budget comes out. >> Yes. So um >> we'll know a lot what's going on. We'll know where the school funding formula is. I'm hoping that the new administration doesn't take funding away
from the the municipalities. >> Oh, don't even say that. We've been at the level I think it's been 20some years. >> I don't want to be the center of the party pooper, but the new administration's in the hole for about six billion. So, we can only assume there's going to be >> cuts >> cuts and or tax increases, which I think
is even louder down in Trenton. The voices in the hallways are louder with uh tax increases, sales tax, and everything else that >> maybe we won't be having you back next time. So, >> we won't be able to afford it. Yeah. Um >> the electric will be off. >> But we'll see. My caucus is there. We're
we're standing up. We're yelling. We're fighting. We're telling the truth. Sometimes the truth gets buried, but we're there for the people here. And then my district and it hold people in the in the state. We are fighting for the common sense average working person >> which I think for somehow this you know
poor people are getting poorer the rich are getting richer but that middle class is being eliminated which I'm one of. >> I don't know if a lot of people realize that your office is down on 516. So if anyone has any problems with the state issues >> it's Senator Thompson's old office. It's been renovated. You won't recognize it.
I have a great staff and my assembly uh comrades have one in Madawan. Alex is down. If you're further down, if that one's easier on 539, 537. Um, we all offer the same the same. >> They're doing they're fighting the bag battle, too. >> Yeah. Alex is really leading the charge. >> Yeah. He's working very hard.
>> Yeah. Um, and the assembly took a beating this last >> Yes. >> November. We'll see what happens. That's all we can do. See what it's hope and pray. >> Well, we're still hoping to have you back. >> I'll be back. I'll be back. >> Good news or bad, you know, we have to take it. We'll put a we'll put a
positive spin on what's going on. >> Can't sugarcoat it, but >> Right. But we like people to know what's happening. I want people to understand why their electric bill is so high. I don't think I think there's confusion. >> It's not your fault. It's not my fault that you know the we as politicians,
>> we did nothing to eliminate the supply of electricity, right? >> And it wasn't naturally caused. It wasn't an earthquake. >> We were one of the cheapest in the country. We were big generators of electricity. I think the last auction I went out for as mayor, we the town's
energy was like 7 cents a kilowatt hour and I think we got 9 cents for the people in New Jersey. I think it's 19 cents now. >> Yeah. >> So that's more than 33%. That's >> especially in the winter. Your electric bill is usually nothing. I'm My electric bills in the winter now are the same as they were in the summer when I was using air conditioning.
>> So they're going to be more in the summer. And maybe it'll it'll force people to uh conserve, turn the thermostats um up in the summer, down in the winter um and look at our consumption of electricity and natural gas. >> Well, thank you so much for taking time
out of your busy schedule to come. >> Yes, I am. I am every night. >> We'll definitely have another uh show and just we'll have some see if other concerns come up by then. >> And anyone has any questions, please call call my office. I don't want to get too deep into I have a lot of papers here and numbers. I don't want to bore
people either. We >> But if anyone has any questions about, they can call your office. >> Just call my office. >> Any local things, they could call my office and we're always here for you. >> Thank you so much for having me. >> I I want to thank you, Senator Henry, for joining us and sharing this valuable information. I'm Mayor Debbie Walker,
and I want to thank you for watching Outlook.